New web page for ‘ethical’ book sales

Galashiels firm Bookdonors has launched a dedicated web site, www.bookdonors.co.uk, to capitalise on its links with charity shop book suppliers.

Leading crime fiction author, Lin Anderson, who launched the site said: “Offering used and new books side by side, this web site gives customers real choice. Buying books from Bookdonors will support an organisation which has strong social and environmental objectives, which provides an ethical choice to larger sites.”

Bookdonors is a not-for-profit Social Enterprise based in Tweedbank where it employs 32 staff. It trades in used books for the benefit of people, charities and the environment. All sales are used to fulfil the triple social mission; to provide flexible and adaptable employment opportunities, to help protect the environment by promoting re-use and to provide additional income to a range of charities.

It makes sales of over 8,000 books per week, which helped the company to a turnover of £1.4m last year, with corresponding payments to charities of over £200k for supply of books in the last 2 years. The NatWest Social Enterprise 2015 SE100 Index which tracks the performance of social enterprises, rated Bookdonors eighth in the UK Retail Sector.